Update: SES is closed for the remainder of the school year. We will continue to provide remote learning for our students. Please see the letters and resources posted above for more information.

Dear SES Community,

I am writing to you today as a proud member of the Shutesbury Elementary School community. The educators at SES have spent countless hours preparing, recording themselves, writing and planning a meaningful, positive and appropriate remote learning experience for your child(ren). I am VERY proud of the hard work and learning being provided for our students.

REMOTE LEARNING

Beginning today, SES students can locate specific remote learning plans daily through our SES Learning-at-Home website. This site can be located through the front page of our regular school website (shutesburyschool.org) or by going directly to sesmoose.wordpress.com. Students should click on their teacher’s learning link on the website. They will be immediately directed to their specific learning page. Our specialists, Ms. L, Ms. Samm, Beth and Mr. Carra also have sites! Most classroom teachers will put specific “specials’ into their daily schedules.

The following online services are now being made available to SES students as part of our school’s core remote learning platforms:

G-Suite Core Apps to include

○ Google Meet – Video Communication Tool

○ Google Classroom – Information Sharing Tools

○ Google Mail – Email Communication Tools

○ Google Calendar
○ Google Drive - Cloud Storage

○ Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms - Office Productivity Tools

Other Grade Specific Online Tools and Educational Programs will be communicated to
families by classroom teachers.

Notice of School Closure Extended/Privacy Rights

The State of Emergency order requiring mandatory closure of schools has been extended through the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. This necessitates that Shutesbury School District continues with remote learning, which includes the use of video communication through platforms such as Zoom for Education or Google Suites. It is important that we all continue to respect the privacy and intellectual property rights of our school community including teachers, service providers, and students. By participating in remote learning, you agree that you may not save, record, share, or post any online session in whole or in part (including photo stills). With regard to protection of privacy, these platforms come with protective measures such as encryption. The extent and effectiveness of these protections are not fully known at this time and cannot be guaranteed by Shutesbury School District. Shutesbury School District will continue to take reasonable steps to protect the privacy of your child in compliance with State and Federal laws, such as Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Student Records Act, and Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). By agreeing to participate you are acknowledging and accepting that these online platforms may not fully comply with State or Federal laws. Throughout the process the District will examine the selection of online platforms, and where appropriate, will make changes in order to protect student privacy. If you do not wish to participate in online learning under these conditions, please contact Principal Jacqueline Mendonsa at mendonsaj@shutesburyschool.org.

If you have questions about food assistance, please contact Jessica Carlson-Belanger by email directly, carlson-belangerj@shutesburyschool.org. She will respond promptly.

Technology:

If you have questions around loaned tech devices please contact Debbie Lee by email directly, leed@shutesburyschool.org. She will respond promptly.

General:

If you have questions about anything else-- including ideas for Moose TV episodes, contact me directly, mendonsaj@shutesburyschool.org.

We are all in this together. I am grateful for this school community. We will continue to communicate information as we receive it. We will also continue to reach out to continue to connect us all during this time apart.

Shutesbury Elementary School (SES) serves elementary age children in the town of Shutesbury. As the only school in town, SES is the focal point for accommodating 125 children from Preschool to Grade 6.

SES is a dynamic learning community. Its mission is to lay foundations in the many critical areas of our children's education. We strive to nurture each child's curiosity, growth, and development, and to foster a lifelong love of learning.

The Shutesbury School District assures that all programs, activities and employment opportunities are offered without regard to race, color, gender, gender identity, age, creed, homelessness, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability and pregnancy or pregnancy related conditions.